Sunday, January 15, 2017

Kenya's Dominic Ondoro takes 2017 Houston Marathon title

By Robert H KellyCopyright 2017 TexSport PublicationsHOUSTON, TEXAS (January 15, 2017) Dominic Ondoro broke with the pack at the 25-mile mark;
outdistancing his nearest competitors to win the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon on
the streets of Houston on Sunday, January 15, 2017. The Kenyan’s time of 2:12:05 was 28 seconds faster
than second place Yitayal Atanfu, who also finished in second place in the race
in 2016. Ondoro’s time was a bit off his personal best; a 2:08:00 performance at the
Tiberias Marathon in Israel in 2013.

His winning time of 2:12:05 was the slowest since 2008, were
countryman David Cheruiyot won the third of his three Houston Marathon titles,
with the time of 2:12:32. Cheruiyot also won Houston in 2005 (2:14:50) and 2006
(2:12:02). The current Houston Marathon record of 2:06:51 was set in 2012 by Tariku
Jufar of Ethiopia. Ondoro broke the eight-year streak of an Ethiopian winning
in Houston dating back to 2009. In 2014, Ondoro placed fifth in Houston (2:11:43)
followed by a fourth-place finish in 2015 (2:09:40). In 2016, The 29-year old
won the Twin Cities Marathon (2:08:51) in 2016 and place third at the Ottawa
Marathon (2:11:3). When questioned what plans he had for the $45,000 prize
money, he responded, “Do some investment; buy a boat.”

Ethiopian runners finished in third to fifth place; with
Abayyneh Ayele Wuldegiorgus (2:12:44), Andualem Shiferaw (2:12:54) and Abrha
Milaw Asefa (2:16:16). The top American finisher was Elkanah Kibet, placing sixth with the time of 2:17:25. Next year’s event is scheduled for January 14, 2018.